Kurt Cobain - Another Viewpoint

by J. C., Wethersfield, CT



I just heard today, less than a week after Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain's untimely death, that a person in Seattle killed himself in the same manner. I have to say: what's the matter with these people?

For generations now, we have been losing our beloved music stars to accidents, drugs, suicide, etc. While the legacies of pioneers and legends like Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin continue to live on, lesser known stars like Richie Valens, Randy Rhodes, and Stevie Ray Vaughn are forgotten with time.

Kurt Cobain, whose death is indeed a misfortune, was nowhere as talented as any of these. All I have been hearing is Kurt Cobain this, Kurt Cobain that. Someone even remarked to me "How come all of the great ones die young?" Now, Cobain was not a "great one." He has only been around for a few years, and was not that great. I am a fan of Nirvana but I had a little problem with them. They are boring. I have three Nirvana CDs, and when I first got them, they were great. But by the third day, I was so bored with the repetitive music that I stopped listening. They were messy and repetitive and didn't revolutionize any new sound like Jimi Hendrix who brought in a new guitar sound. I feel in a few years Nirvana would have been forgotten. Now they will be remembered for a singer who all of sudden had all this talent that wasn't there before, was a great guy even though he was a drug addict and had frequent mood swings, overdosed heroically and then blew his brains out. In a way, this was probably the best career move Cobain could ever make. All of a sudden, people love the immortal Nirvana and are buying up all of their music. Literally two days before Cobain was found dead, I was taking my friend home after practicing in our rock band and the talk turned, as usual, to music. Ironically, my friend started sounding off about how he couldn't stand Nirvana, how they are just an over-rated garage band who won't be around in six months. All of a sudden after the weekend, my friend says "Jay, I've decided I like Nirvana." What?! Why? Because the singer killed himself, which made their music that you hated better? It was just unbelievable.

Here's the point of these ramblings: while Cobain's death was indeed awful and tragic (it always is when someone so young takes his own life), he should not be considered "great" just because he killed himself. Let's just not make such a big deal of it because I am already sick of stupid "Kurt Cobain Lives" T-shirts. Just let him rest in peace and worry about more important things going on in our lives.